Page 48 of Escape Velocity

“We?”

He kept his gaze on her. “Rafe Cortez.”

She felt like he’d just hit her in the stomach with a blast from his beamer. If she had been standing up, she would have fallen over.

“No,” she gasped.

“It’s okay.”

“He’s going to turn me over to Tudor.”

“No,” he said again.

She searched for absolute conviction in his voice and didn’t hear it.

“Let me deal with him.”

And let him finish the job he was hired to do. Not if she could help it, she thought, but she kept the words locked in her throat. Right now, she had to look like she was going along with Max’s plans.

The Golden Fleece stayed in position, and the other ship maneuvered to its side.

“Permission to come aboard,” a deep male voice said.

“Granted.”

Max turned to her “Stay here”

She gave a little nod.

Her heart was already drumming inside her chest as he stood and headed toward the air lock. The moment he was out of sight, she began looking wildly around the control room. If only Max had another beamer, she would have picked it up and hoped it was set to kill. But there were no guns or any other weapons lying around the bridge.

What could she use to defend herself? She saw a clear plastic box clipped to the underside of the control panel. Through it she spotted a variety of tools. Leaning forward, she fumbled for the catch on the box. Because there wasn’t much time to paw through the contents, she snatched up a heavy wrench, closed the box again, and wrapped her hand around the handle of the tool. It felt reassuringly solid in her grasp.

A quick glance told her she was still alone. Standing, she walked to the side of the doorway and waited with the wrench held down by her leg.

In the corridor she heard male voices talking, the conversation clipped and urgent. Were they talking about her? Was Cortez asking why Max hadn’t completed the assignment? Was he explaining where he’d been? Was he angry with Max for rescuing her?

She couldn’t hear what they were saying, but she was sure of one thing. Why else would Rafe Cortez be here if he hadn’t come to grab her and take her to the man who had bought her? She wasn’t going to let that happen, and if that meant dying to prevent it, she was ready to accept that.

Every nerve in her body sizzled as she pressed herself against the cold metal wall.

Because she didn’t want to make a mistake and kill Max, she had to wait for the two men to enter the control room. Max was in the lead.

He glanced toward the copilot’s seat and stopped short.

“Amber?”

She didn’t answer, and he walked quickly to the other side of the chair, looking to see if she was hiding.

Rafe followed him into the room.

He was a tall man, with dark hair and what looked like a two- or three-day growth of dark stubble on his cheeks and chin.

As soon as she saw him clearly, she sprang away from the wall, raising the wrench and aiming a blow at his head.

But Max had turned, saw her, and shouted, “Watch out.”

A look of shock on his face, the other man dodged enough to keep the tool from coming down on his skull. It bounced off his shoulder, and he grunted.

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